Mount Sinai Study Reveals Infants Face Prenatal Exposure to 42 Distinct Forever Chemicals via Umbilical Cord Blood

New research from Mount Sinai reveals babies are exposed to 42 different "forever chemicals" prenatally, far more than previously detected by standard tests.

By: AXL Media

Published: Feb 23, 2026, 10:17 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from ScienceDaily - https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260222085209.htm

Hidden Chemical Legacies in Umbilical Cord Blood

A groundbreaking study led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has unveiled a far more complex reality regarding prenatal environmental risks than traditional testing has ever suggested. By examining stored umbilical cord blood samples from 120 infants born between 2003 and 2006, scientists have identified an extensive array of synthetic substances known as "forever chemicals." These per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are notorious for their inability to break down in the environment and their tendency to accumulate within human tissue over long periods. The findings indicate that the chemical burden carried by infants before birth includes dozens of compounds that are frequently overlooked by standard monitoring protocols.

Advanced Screening Beyond Predefined Chemical Lists

The research team employed a sophisticated non-targeted chemical analysis method to scan for hundreds of substances simultaneously, rather than limiting their search to a small group of well known toxins. This broader scientific lens allowed for the detection of 42 unique PFAS compounds, including perfluorinated chemicals, polyfluorinated chemicals, and fluorotelomers. Many of these identified substances have rarely been studied in the context of human health, making their presence in newborn blood a point of significant scientific interest. According to lead author Shelley H. Liu, PhD, the results suggest that the comprehensive nature of measuring these substances is essential to understanding the true scale of prenatal exposure.

Developing New Metrics for Cumulative Toxic Burdens

To better quantify the total chemical impact on newborns, the Mount Sinai researchers developed a new metric called "PFAS-omics burden scores." This innovative approach utilizes data science and item response theory to create a composite snapshot of an individual's total exposure at a single point in time. Interestingly, when this more inclusive measurement was applied, the team found no significant difference in exposure levels between babies born to first time mothers and those who had previous pregnancies. This discovery challenges earlier scientific narratives that relied on narrower testing panels and suggests that the environmental saturation of these chemicals is more uniform than previously assumed.